Cold spray of solid-state batteries

Abstract

An active layer for a battery includes a cold-sprayed composite layer positioned above a substrate, where the composite layer comprises an active component, a conductive component, and a binder. The composite layer is formed from a solid-state material. A method of making a composite layer includes forming a composite layer on a substrate by cold spraying particles of a composite powder above the substrate. The composite powder includes an active component, a conductive component, and a binder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An active layer for a battery, comprising:
 a cold-sprayed composite layer positioned above a substrate,   wherein the composite layer comprises an active component, a conductive component, and a binder,   wherein the composite layer is formed from a solid-state material.   
     
     
         2 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the composite layer includes lithium. 
     
     
         3 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the active component includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of: lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, cobalt oxides, lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxides, lithium manganese oxides, carbon, silicon, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the binder is a non-metal binder selected from the group consisting of: an organic polymer and an inorganic binder. 
     
     
         5 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive component is selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, and graphite. 
     
     
         6 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a solid-state electrolyte material. 
     
     
         7 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the composite layer is an anode layer. 
     
     
         8 . The active layer as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the composite layer is a cathode layer. 
     
     
         9 . A solid-state battery, comprising:
 the active layer as recited in  claim 1 ; and   a cold-sprayed current collector layer positioned above the composite layer.   
     
     
         10 . The solid-state battery as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the solid-state battery comprises a cold-sprayed electrolyte layer positioned between the composite layer and the current collector layer. 
     
     
         11 . The solid-state battery as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising, an anode layer positioned above the electrolyte layer. 
     
     
         12 . The solid-state battery as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a cold-sprayed second electrolyte layer positioned above the current collector layer;   a cold-sprayed second composite layer positioned above the second electrolyte layer; and   a cold-sprayed second current collector layer positioned above the second composite layer.   
     
     
         13 . The solid-state battery as recited in  claim 12 , wherein a shape of the solid-state battery is a cylindrical cell configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A multi-stack solid-state battery, comprising at least two repeating sets of at least some of the layers as recited in  claim 12 . 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a composite layer, the method comprising
 forming a composite layer on a substrate by cold spraying particles of a composite powder above the substrate,   wherein the composite powder comprises an active component, a conductive component, and a binder.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein an average size of the particles is in a range of greater than 100 nanometers to less than 50 microns. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum and copper. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the composite powder further comprises a solid-state electrolyte material. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making a solid-state battery, the method comprising:
 forming the composite layer as recited in  claim 15 ; and   forming an electrolyte layer by cold spraying particles of an electrolyte powder above the composite layer; and   forming a current collector layer on the composite layer by cold spraying particles of a current collector material powder above the electrolyte layer.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the current collector material powder comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: copper, copper-based single atom alloys, and dilute alloys. 
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 before forming the current collector layer, forming an anode layer by cold spraying particles of an anode powder above the composite layer.   
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the anode powder comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: graphite, silicon, and an oxide. 
     
     
         23 . A method of forming a multi-layer solid-state battery, the method comprising, forming the battery as recited in  claim 19 ;
 forming a second electrolyte layer above the current collector layer by cold spraying particles of the electrolyte powder above the current collector layer;   forming a second composite layer above the second electrolyte layer by cold spraying particles of the composite powder above the second electrolyte layer; and   forming a second current collector layer above the second composite layer by cold spraying particles of a second current collector powder above the second electrolyte layer.   
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein a composition of the second current collector powder is the same as the substrate. 
     
     
         25 . A method of forming a multi-stack solid-state battery, the method comprising:
 performing at least two sequences of at least some of the operations for forming a multi-layer battery as recited in  claim 23 .   
     
     
         26 . A method of forming a solid-state battery having a cylindrical cell configuration, the method comprising:
 rotating a substrate about the longitudinal axis of the substrate while the following layers are formed thereabove by cold spraying each of the layers:
 a composite layer comprising particles of a composite powder including an active component, a conductive component, and a binder; 
 an insulator layer comprising particles of an insulator material powder, the insulator layer formed above a first portion of the composite layer; 
 an electrolyte layer comprising particles of an electrolyte powder, the electrolyte layer formed above a second portion of the composite layer, wherein the first portion of the composite layer is different than the second portion of the composite layer; and 
 a current collector layer comprising particles of a current collector material powder, the current collector layer formed above the electrolyte layer. 
   
     
     
         27 . A method of forming a multi-stack solid-state battery having a cylindrical cell configuration, the method comprising:
 performing at least two sequences of at least some of the operations for forming a multi-layer battery as recited in  claim 26 .